


Return

by flowerpeddler



Series: Metronome [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Childhood Friends, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up Together, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:00:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23061358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowerpeddler/pseuds/flowerpeddler
Summary: The two of you had grown up attached at the hip for years until Hop wins in the League Challenge before ultimately earning the new Champion's title. Due to a cascade reaction of events, you find yourself healing in Johto for a number of years until it's finally time to return home to Galar.
Relationships: Hop (Pokemon)/Reader
Series: Metronome [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1656250
Comments: 8
Kudos: 120





	Return

**Author's Note:**

> AU where Hop wins instead.

By age four, you had met your best friend and rival in your childhood years.

He was a small, energetic boy with a toothy grin and wild bed hair that his mother could never smooth down. It was no surprise to any of your parents that the two of you had gotten so close; there weren't many children in Postwick Town. There was Leon, his older brother that you looked up, but he was a little too old to really be _friends_ with. He was more or less an older brother to you while he thought of you as an honorary little sister.

"Stop that!" you'd exclaim as Leon ruffled both of your heads.

By age seven, you cried into your pillow the day Hop got his first Pokemon, a Wooloo that Leon had caught him. Of course, you were happy for your best friend, but it upset you that you didn't get a Pokemon either. 

Almost like telepathy, he came over the next morning and let you play with Wooloo before the two of you had to go to school. Since then, it's become a routine; you or him would see each other in the morning to eat breakfast and play with Wooloo before learning simple maths.

By age ten, you started dating your first boyfriend, a blonde boy by the name of Rex who lived in Wedgehurst. You started spending more time with your new beau after school over a shared pastry or a few moments feeding the stray Nickits that came into town.

This time, it was Hop who sobbed into his pillow when you stopped seeing him as often to see your boyfriend. Leon told you all about it, and you were struck with the realization that you didn't want to choose some classmate you dated over your best friend of six year. Three days later, you dumped Rex and skipped over to Hop's house to play the latest video game his mother had bought him.

"He was bad at Pokemon battling anyways," you shrugged when Hop gave you a worried look as you talked about your breakup. "I'm not going to date someone who probably can't even beat me."

By age thirteen, the two of you were finally old enough to go explore Galar and participate in the League Challenge, which was a dream that you two talked about during sleepovers or afternoon snacks. Leon had given the two of you Pokemon, and you were excited finally claim your first Pokemon, a sweet and gentle Scorbunny that you nicknamed Cinnabun.

Having spent so much time practically joined at the hip together, the two of you finally agreed to spend a few moments of your journeys by yourself and your Pokemon to grow as trainers and people. It was a hard decision that left both you and him a little watery.

"The two of us _have_ to meet up at every city and route," he insisted. It wasn't a real journey if you two couldn't keep each other on your toes by sharing battles, berries, sometimes burnt curries, and stories.

At the end of the year, you returned his gaze on the opposite side of Wyndon Stadium as he sent out his trusted Rillaboom. Confident about the match's outcome and the bond between you and your Pokemon, you relied on your dear Cinderace to take you through the battle.

The first round had gone smoothly, but then a critical hit from his Dubwool took down your beloved Cinderace. Then your Boltund until eventually the two of you were head to head with both of your Corviknights battling against each other. With a final command, Hop narrowly won the battle- something that didn't usually happen in your matches with him.

"I told you I wasn't going to lose!" on his face was a wide grin, and you could even see relief in those warm eyes of his.

You had no time to be upset; as his best friend, it was practically a requirement to support him through the rest of the challenge, cheering for him as he finished off Marnie effortlessly. Then came Rose's plans, and you remembered shrieking Hop's name as he just barely got through capturing Eternatus.

Naturally, the young, eggplant-haired boy managed to come out on top, finally defeating his brother and snatching the Champion title from underneath Leon's nose. You had no time to be upset, you reminded yourself as Hop was crowned the new Champion of Galar.

At age 15, you continued to travel around Galar, occasionally helping out Nessa or Bede with any errands they needed your assistance with. You even found the time to volunteer at one of the many Pokemon nurseries in Galar. Despite the new experiences, something was different, and sometimes you had trouble leaving your bed or your sleeping bag in your tent. Was it because Hop would only call you once a week because of his League responsibilities?

"Hey, Hop... I was just wondering what you've been up to," you began, swallowing. Your throat felt dry, and a part of you wanted to cry. "Just call me back when you can, okay? Sleep well."

A year later, you were sick of watching the gap between you and your best friend grow larger, whether it be the difference in your Pokemon trainer capabilities or the emotional gap that grew larger with every missed call or unopened text you sent him. After having a week's long discussion with your mother, she relented and allowed you to go to Johto, where the Pokemon League Challenge was a bit more relaxed and much less... public.

It was hard saying goodbye to your mom, who was teary-eyed at the airport, and it was just as difficult to say goodbye to Leon and his mother, who both gave you encouraging words.

Hop never made it to the airport.

"It's probably League duties," Leon gently reminded you. "I was pretty busy at that age. If anything, I'm sure he'll give you a call once you land. Or maybe he could come visit you- I think there's a global League conference there later this year."

As far as you knew, he never called you until a month after you landed.

You picked up on the second ring and held your breath as he called out your name. "It's been a while, I'm so sorry..." he sounded incredibly upset. "The League and Sonia keep stacking things onto my plate, but I guess I can't complain if my goal was to eat, right?"

"Right." Your own voice sounded hoarse to you, and there was silence on the other end of the line, reminding you that you and Hop just... weren't that close anymore. It was a thought that tugged at your heart like a Rookidee pulling a tough berry from a tree.

"Um! I'm sure Leon told you, but there's a conference in Johto... I'm supposed to meet with Lance during the work hours, but maybe afterwards we could catch a show or dinner or dessert?"

You'd be lying if you said you didn't want to go, so you told him the pure truth. "Why don't we do all three?"

You can hear the grin in his voice. "Smart idea!" he chirped, and you can hear some shuffling from the other side. "I gotta help Sonia with some research, though... I'll talk to you later? I can send the details of my schedule and flight later tonight."

Much to your surprise and your joy, he texts you a myriad of pictures containing his flight number, hotel room, and the conference schedule that gave you a headache just by looking at it. If it made _you_ dizzy, you can't imagine how one-track-minded Hop would have felt upon seeing that horrible schedule. You could fit in time after 8, which is when his schedule ended on most days.

The day you got to see him couldn't have come any slower, and you rushed into his outspread arms just outside of the hotel in Goldenrod City. "Hop!" you cried out, and when he wraps his arms around you, it was like your friendship had never changed.

"I missed you!" in person, he was a lot taller than before, and you didn't remember his voice being so deep. Are those actual muscles on his arms, or had it really been that long?

The two of you chatted exuberantly over some pastries at a bakery you had discovered with Whitney in your month in Johto. Everything was going so smoothly, and for the first time in years, it felt like the two of you were nine years old, chatting about the newest episode of your favorite show or the way Leon did that _one move_ in his last battle.

Of course it was too good to be true. You were just about to tell him about the gym leaders you had met so far when his phone buzzed. The caller ID showed that it's Champion Lance, and Hop met your eyes with a hesitant and guilty look. "It's okay. We can just meet up tomorrow," you gave in, knowing that a Champion's work is never really done.

He sent you a look of relief. "I'll buy dinner tomorrow, and you can even pick the place! I'll see you!" he called after shoving the last of his mochi in his mouth.

Hop doesn't buy dinner tomorrow, and he doesn't come and see you for the rest of the week, leaving you with the familiar sourness of disappointment. What did you expect? It had been like this since a few months after your fourteenth birthday, and of course it wouldn't have gotten any easier by now. It felt even worse when you see on his Trapinchstagram that he had already returned back to Galar.

You stopped calling or texting him after that incidence, knowing that if he wanted to talk to you, he'd reach out. In the span of four years, he never checked up on you. When you were sixteen, you might have been able to convince yourself that everything was fine and that his League work was just catching up to him. Now that you were a proper adult at age twenty, you knew better than the delude yourself with one-sided promises of friendship.

If he cared, he would have reached out, but it seemed like he never really did.

It hurt. It hurt so damn much, knowing you were essentially insignificant in your life. It hurt accepting the truth, and it hurt every time Leon called you. If his brother could call, then why couldn't he? By now, the pain had subsided into a mild throb, but it grew a little sharper when you finally landed in the small Wedgehurst airport that only had three flights a day.

The air practically tasted like your childhood, rich with flowers, laughter, and the sweet aroma of baked goods in the small bakery next to the station. A large building to your left stood out to you, and you found yourself walking towards it, wanting to see the Pokemon Professor again. It had been too long since you last saw her, after all.

As you reach up to knocked on the door, it swung open abruptly. "I know, I know! I'm heading out now!" you felt your heart drop to the pits of your stomach as the boy- now _man_ \- you had been chasing crashed into you. "Whoa, sorry. That looks like a lot of luggage- you need some help with-" he finally met your eyes. "...that?"

All you could do was stare at the purple-haired man, who had filled into a tall and broad stature just like his elder brother, but you could tell he was a few inches taller than Leon by now. "You're back?" it sounded more like question, as if not believing his own eyes.

"Hop, I can still hear your voice! I need you to get those samples from Route 2!" Sonia groaned at him before glancing over at you. "Oh, wow! (Name)! It's been so long! Here let me get that," she practically shoved the tan man aside to haul some of your luggage into the lab with as much strength her small body could handle.

"I decided it was finally time to return home," you managed to say. "Maybe I was missing Galar more than I thought? Or I got sick seeing Gold nearly every day."

Hop's gaze was hot on your back. "Gold?"

Sonia, on the other hand, looked impressed. "So, you've managed to befriend the very trainer that single-handedly took down Team Rocket for good, huh? Of course you did. Are you dating him yet?"

"You're dating him?" if it was even possible, Hop's voice is even thicker with disbelief and even deeper than when you saw him at the ripe age of sixteen.

You shook your head vigorously. "Arceus, no! We're just friends. He's too busy working at Elm's lab for a relationship," you laughed, though you realized that pretty much Hop and Gold were the exact same in regards to scheduling. You guessed the two were just too busy.

"Sounds like Hop," Sonia's word echoed your thoughts. "He's been working with me for the past year, and he's supposed to get samples from the baby Lapras at Route 2." She gave him a pointed look. "Why don't you help him out? I can have one of the neighbor's Machoke help carry your luggage back home."

You opened your mouth to protest, but a hand fell onto your shoulder. "That sounds great!"

"Perfect!" Sonia exclaimed before roughly shoving both of you out the door. "I'll see you two soon!" and with that, she slammed the door, forcing the two of you to head towards Route 2 almost silently. You cursed Sonia in your head, but more than that, you cursed Hop for actually agreeing in the first place.

The air itched with anxiety and tension even as the two of you pulled out your bikes to ride the water. "So... I guess it's been some time since we've spoken?"

You refused to look at him in the eyes. "Yeah."

"Your mom had been telling me how much fun you'd been having in Johto."

"Something like that."

The two of you were silent, the only sound was the sloshing of the water against your bikes and the cooing of the baby Lapras that approached Hop happily. He gave it a gentle pat before swabbing its mouth with a cotton swab and replacing it into a sterile bag. He continued to check up on the dual type as you watched a family of Drednaw and Chewtle search for food. The Lapras was still huge, despite being only a few months old.

"Are you angry with me?"

Something in your blood made you snap. "Am I angry with you?" you repeated his words, giving him a look.

"You seem upset, and I just wanna make sure everything's okay."

"You lost that right years ago. I could hardly even consider you my friend anymore," you more or less spat out, the hidden grudge against him finally rearing its ugly head. 

Hop looked crushed, pausing from his tests. "You... don't?"

You refused to look at him any longer, knowing you'd end up crying with all the intense emotions you had been bottling up finally surfacing. " _In what way_ have you been a friend to me in the past few years? We haven't even spoken in three years, and the years before them were so... one-sided, Hop."

"I'm sorry." His voice was husky with emotion, and a tiniest prick of guilt ate at you before you willed it away. "I-I just... _finally_ understood all the times Leon was so busy when I became Champion, and it was overwhelming... I mean, a part of me didn't even _want_ to be Champion. I was a kid, (Name). What else could I have wanted besides my role model acknowledging me? How could I do that without winning the League?" his voice is desperate, choked.

"You neglected me. You stood me up how many times? How many nights have I stayed up for your sake- only to never get a call back before they just stopped coming once and for all?" you couldn't help the tear that fell, but it was probably the mist from the river, right?

"I'm sorry," he repeated, and it sounded like he was about to cry, too. "I swear I mean it when I say life was coming at me hard. I mean," he gulped. "I lost almost a whole decade of my youth because of this stupid Champion bullshit. What I wouldn't do to go back in time and just purposely lose against Lee..."

You shook your head, though you knew he couldn't really see if your back was still to him.

"I'm serious," he pleaded, finally putting away his research equipment. "You stopped calling, and I spent the past three years wondering if you hated my guts ot not. I relinquished my title to some trainer from Hammerlocke 'cause I don't fucking wanna be Champion anymore. It's so much better... here in the lab, doing something that brings a smile to my face."

"I'm happy you found something that suits you better," you replied honestly. "But friendship works too ways. I spent three of my years wondering if I didn't mean enough for you when you never even called me."

"Fuck. Arceus, I'm an idiot." You heard the swishing of water as he rode closer to you. "Okay, wow, now I feel like a total asshole."

You snorted. "Yeah, you think?" you watched the baby Lapras, previously forgotten in your heated conversation with Hop, chirped and swam closer to you until it reached down and grabbed the bottom of your bike-

Wait. No, _shit!-_

The bike was practically snatched away from you, and you crashed into the water with a small yelp. When you surfaced, Hop's expression was priceless as he extended a hand for you to take. Hesitantly, you reached out to take it, but the Lapras must have felt playful today because your hand was only met with a large splash as you look up at a gleeful Lapras with Hop's bike in its mouth.

He re-emerged from the water, clearly shocked judging by the stunned expression painted on his medium skin. Like clockwork, the two of you just stared at each other. _Did that really just happen_? Thankfully, there was a small island in the middle of the lake, close to where you had spotted the Drednaw family earlier. Nodding in agreement, the two of you wade to the island as the baby, but clearly not small, Lapras pushed your bikes onto the sand.

Your breathing was a little heavy, and the two of you make eye contact once more before his signature grins makes its way onto his lips. "Hey! This isn't funny!" you grumbled out as you try to squeeze out the water from your shirt.

"Yeah, 'cause it's _hilarious_. Man, that Lapras grew up in no time!" he whistled, impressed with the Pokemon's growth rate. "Do you remember that time when that school of Arrokuda chased us around in that lake?"

Almost against your will, a smile of your own crept its way onto your face. "It's the best entertainment a ten year old could have had," you agreed, continuing to squeeze out more water. Hop, however, had different plans and just removed his lab coat and shirt entirely, reminding you that the two of you weren't just children splashing around in a lake anymore. It was then when you realized that Hop was a man, and you had missed out on his growth as a person, emotionally, mentally, and _definitely_ physical judging by the lean sinew of his form.

"I wish you could have been my rival forever," he finally admitted when the two of you stop giggling.

"Huh?"

Hop closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Okay. I know this is going to take some time to repair, but I missed you so much. Maybe you're not ready to forgive me, and that's okay." Was that it? It sounded like he was just going to give up, and it left a burning sensation in your chest.

"Umm..." you have to avert your gaze from his own chest, glistening with water droplets in the afternoon sun.

"But there's no way I'm giving up," he said firmly. "I'll try again tomorrow. And the day after that. And however long it takes to make up for the past six years because I want my best friend back."

You rolled your eyes. "Four years ago, you promised to buy me dinner after ditching me for _Lance_. If you can't even keep a promise like that, I don't know how I can believe you." You were lying. You were lying straight through your teeth because every atom in your body is screaming at you to trust him again, just like whenever you two would have a double battled- just like when the two of you would secretly share homework answers as children.

"I will take however long it takes," he repeated, gaze serious, which is something you had never really seen on him before. "And however many meals it takes. I'll even let you complain about the past until you're sick of talking about it. I'll do whatever it takes."

"This is your last chance, Hop," you warned, giving him a strict look.

And by Arceus, did he take that chance because a few months later, you returned as not only his best friend, but his rival and his dearest.


End file.
